Independent Lens: The Graduates, Part 2

Meet some inspiring young students who are part of an ongoing effort to increase graduation rates for a growing Latino population.

Part two of "The Graduates" profiles three young Latinos who have overcome enormous challenges, through the help of family, friends and community organizations, en route to completing their education:

Eduardo Corona’s parents moved to San Diego from Mexico to ensure that their children would get a good education. But because both parents worked long hours, Eduardo and his siblings were often unsupervised and soon fell into a life of gangs and violence. Luckily, Eduardo met Chris Yanov, founder of Reality Changers, a college-prep organization that turned his life around.

Gustavo Madrigal of Griffin, Georgiastarted school in the U.S. in fifth grade, after being brought from Mexico by his undocumented parents. They emphasized academics and set high standards, but Gustavo’s undocumented status presented serious barriers when the time came to apply to college.

Juan Bernabe came to Lawrence, Massachusetts from the Dominican Republic with his mother at age 11. In his freshman year, he came out as gay. Feeling isolated and discouraged, Juan was on the verge of dropping out but the performing arts kept him in school, giving him the means to express himself and gain confidence.

Photo: An organization called Reality Changers helped San Diego’s Eduardo turn his life around.